Pile straightening and holding device



March 24, 1936. w D, KELLOGG 2,035,236

FILE STRAIGHTENING AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed Nov 6, 1931 I INVENTOR- mom/10 BY Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PILE' STRAIGHTENING AND HOLDING DEVICE William D. Kellogg, Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Mohawk Carpet Mills, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 6, 1931, Serial No. 573,412

13 Claims. 7 (Cl. 139-7) This invention relates to looms for weaving rugs or carpets and is concerned more particularly with an improved mechanism for use in such looms which serves the double purpose of supporting the fabric as it is being woven and holding the pile yarns tightly while they are being woven into the fabric. A loom equipped with this mechanism accordingly produces a fabric, in which the pile tufts are woven snugly 10 into place so that they cannot readily work loose, and which has a smooth finished undersurface.

In rug or carpet looms as now commonly employed for weaving Axminster rugs or the like, the mechanism is arranged to cause a shot I5 or pick of filling yarn to pass through the warp shed, after which the harness is moved to close the warp threads on the pick. The yarns to be used for the pile tufts are then inserted between this pick and the one next preceding and the ends of the yarns bent around the last pick to form a U-bend, after which they are cut to produce pile tufts of the proper length. The pick with the pile tufts bent aroundit is beaten up to complete the operation. In such looms,

the completed fabric is supported upon a stationary breastplate but no means are ordinarily provided for supporting or holding the pile. yarns at' the bottom of the loops therein until'after .the weaving operation is completed. As a consequence, it frequently happens that the pile tufts are not evenly and tightly woven into the fabric, the underside of the fabric is rough and unfinished in appearance, and the pile tufts work loose in a relatively short time.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a loom in which the pile yarns are supported and held tightly against the pick around which they are bent during .the time when the formation of the tufts is taking place,

to produce a tight, evenly woven fabric. To accomplish this, the loom is provided with a member which normally is located under the breastplate and which is movable from this posi- -:=tion to a position nearer to the harness in which it will support and hold the pile yarns during the formation of the tufts. This movement is properly synchronized with the operation of the loom so that at the appropriate in- 6'stant, the holding means moves forward and bears against the pile yarns just after the insertion thereofand as the free ends are about to be bent upwardly around a pick. The yarns are thus held taut during the formation of the 53tufts and are kept snugly in place until the produce loops.

tufts are completed and the picks around which they are bent are beaten up in the usual way.

For a better understanding of the invention,

reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sectional view 5 through a portion of the loom equipped according to this invention, the parts of the loom being conventionally illustrated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a part of-Figure 1 showing the pile yarns being inserted. 10

breastplate is located the holding device of my invention. The loom includes a harness Ii] for the warp threads, the harness functioning in the usual way to produce a shed through which the filling threads are passed. The pile yarns are carried on spools H above the weaving '5 mechanism and shearing members l2 are provided for cutting the yarns to form tufts of the desired length. The loom has the usual comb l 3 lying beneath the warp and moveable up and down to bend the pile yarns around the pick to 30 The loom also has the usual reed M which moves to beat up the pick around which the pile yarns have been bent.

In my loom, I provide means for holding the v pile yarns during the formation of. the loops, 35 and for this purpose I employ a holding member l6 having a holding face in the form of a bar l9 and pivoted at H to a standard l8 mounted upon the frame of the loom. The holding member IS-is pivoted by means of a leverZii affixed 40 thereto and connected through an adjustable link 2! to one arm 22 of a bell crank lever. The other arm of the bell crank lever carries acam roller 23 held against the surface of acam 24' v by means of a spring 22 attached to a fixed 45 part of the loom frame and to one of the arms of the lever 22. The cam rotates to provide appropriate movement of the holding member. Obviously, any other mechanism which will properly move the holding member at the appropriate time in relation to the operation of the other parts of the loom may be utilized for this purpose with equal facility. 7

In the operation of the loom illustrated, the n fabricis woven in the ordinary way and'pile 15';

yarns are inserted so that the loops encircle a pair of picks. As soon as the picks have been laid and the ends of the pile yarns have been inserted in the fabric by the usual mechanism, the holding member i5 is advanced and the bar I9, forming the contacting face thereof-,bears against the yarns a short distance above the free ends thereof and presses them against the yarns, bending them partially about the pick. The comb I3 is raised to engage the free ends of the yarns and bend them upwardly through the warp to complete the loops, after which the shears operate to severe the yarns and shear the loops to the appropriate length to form tufts. During these operations, the holding bar l9 bears against the yarns, holding them tightly against the.

undersurface of the picks about which they are looped. When the formation of the tufts is completed, the reed advances to beat up the pair of picks with the yarns in place thereon, and as the reed moves forward to perform this function, the holding member It and the bar l9 are returned to their position under the breastplate. The reed is then moved back, the new a shed formed and the cycle of operation repeated.

It is often desirable in moving the holding bar against the yarns to provide a means which will first move the holding bar slightly past the yarn and then return it to a position under the -yarn, thus drawing the picks tightly against the toe of the holding bar.

This movement may obviously be provided by appropriate arrangement of the actuating mechanism for the holding member.

It will be observed that in the new loom, the advance of the holding member brings the bar into contact with the yarns and exerts a holding pressure thereon so that the pile loops are taut and the yarns lie snugly against the surface of the fabric. The holding member continues to perform its holding function until the tufts are completed and this ensures that the tufts will be snugly woven into the fabric and the latter will have a smooth and finished undersurface.

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to provide a holding means for pile yarns, but so far as I am informed, such devices have always supported the weight of the fabric as Well as holding the pile yarns. This device, however, provides a simple holding means which has no function except to hold the pile yarn and need not be made strong enough to support the weight of the fabric, and the mechanism is located under the ordinary breastplate and hence is protected and out of the way, thus providing a simple and effective mechanism for accomplishing the desired result.

I claim:

1. In a pile fabric loom, means for inserting pile yarn ends between the warp threads, a member movable into and out of operative position and operable in said position to engage said ends and press them firmly against the bottom of a shot of weft, a comb independent of said member and operable to engage said ends and bend them around said shot and upward through said warp threads, a breastplate, said member lying beneath the top of the latter when in inoperative position, means for actuating said member, and means for operating said comb.

2. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the

combination of a breastplate having a surface over which the woven fabric passes, a movable member having an operating surface, said membeating up weft shots, and means for actuating said member and comb in proper timed relation. 7 3. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate over the top of which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point,

a member mounted below the top of the breastplate and having a holding surface at its top, said member being movable to and from a position in which said holding surface is exposed beyond the rear edge of the breastplate and engages the bottoms of pile yarns bent around a holding weft shot and presses these yarns from beneath against the shot, a comb" for passing the ends of pile yarns upwardly between the warp threads, said. member lying forward of said comb when said member and comb are performing their functions relative to the yarns, and means for moving the member to and from said position.

4. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate over the top of which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point, a member mounted below the top of the breastplate and having a holding surface at its top,

said member being movable to and from a position in which said holding surface is exposed beyond the rear edge of the breastplate and engages the bottoms of pile yarns bent around a holding weft shot and presses these yarns from beneath against the shot, a comb for passing the ends of pile yarns upwardly between the Warp threads, said member lying forward of said comb when said member and comb are performing their functions relative to the yarns, a reed for beating up weft shots, and means for operating the member, comb, and reed in proper timed relation with said member continuing to press the pile yarns against the holding weft shot until after the comb is moved out of contact with the yarns and the warp threads. 7

5. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate over which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point, a member .against the bottom of said shot, a comb member operable to bend the pile yarns around a shot, means for operating said comb member, and means for moving said movable member be tween its two positions.

6. In a ,loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate over the top of which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point, a member mounted below the top'of said breastplate, said member having a holding surface at its top and being movable to and from a position in which said holding surface lies exposed beyond the rear edge of the breastplate and substantially in the plane of the top of the breastplate along its rear edge and engages the bottoms of pile yarns bent about a holding weft shot and presses these yarns against the shot, and a comb movable to a position behind said member to pass the ends of the yarns upwardly between the warp threads.

7. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate over the top of which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point, a member mounted below the top of said breastplate, said member having a holding surface at its top and being movable to and from a position in which said holding surface is exposed beyond the rear edge of the breastplate and engages the bottoms of pile yarns and presses these yarns upwardly against the holding shot, a comb operable to pass the ends of pile yarns between the warp threads, the holding surface on said member lying forward of the comb when the latter is in engagement with said yarns, a reed for beating up weft shots, means for operating said reed, and means for moving the member to and from said position, said means operating in proper timed relation to the reed operating means to move said member from said position just before the reed engages said holding weft shot to beat it up.

8. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the combination of a breastplate for supporting the woven fabric as it leaves the weaving point, a comb operable to pass the ends of pile yarns between the warp threads, the comb having teeth which pass between the warp threads when the comb is performing its function, and a bar mounted below the top of the breastplate and movable to and from a position in which at least a part of the bar projects beyond the rear edge of the breastplate and a surface on said part engages the bases of loops of tuft yarn below a holding weft shot and presses the yarns into contact with said shot, said part of the bar lying forward of the comb when the teeth of the latter are in contact with the yarns and warp threads.

9. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, a fixed breastplate, a bar mounted below said breastplate, said bar being movable from beneath the breastplate to engage pile yarns inserted; between the warp threads, bend the yarns partly around a Weft shot, and press the yarns against the bottom of said shot, a comb for completing the bending of the ends around said shot, means for operating said member, and means for operating the comb, said member continuing its pressing function until after the comb moved away from said yarns.

10. In a loom for weaving pile fabrics, a fixed breastplate over which the woven fabric passes from the weaving point, a bar normally lying below the top of said breastplate and movable to and from a position in which a portion of the bar is exposed beyond the rear edge of the breastplate, said portion having a holding surface which in the exposed position of the member engages pile yarns, presses these yarns from beneath into contact with the holding weft shot, said surface lying substantially parallel to the plane of the fabric at the weaving point when performing its pressing action, a comb provided with teeth and movable to a position in which its teeth pass between the warp threads and turn the ends of the pile yarns upwardly around the holding weft shot, said! comb lying to the rear of said member when the teeth of the comb are in contact with the warp threads,

and means for moving the member to and from said position.

11. In a loom for weaving tuft pile fabrics, the combination of a fixed breastplate having its rear extremity located substantially at the fell of the fabric, an auxiliary breastplate below the fixed breastplate and normally out of contact with the fabric being woven, means for imparting upwardly and downwardly inclined movements to the auxiliary breastplate for, first, turning the leg of the pile forming tuft upwardly about the holding weft shot, second, supporting the loop of the pile forming tuft below and about the holding weft shot in the plane of the fabric supportingsurface of the fixed breastplate, and third, withdrawing the auxiliary breastplate on the beat up of the binding weft shot.

12. In a loom for weaving tuft pile fabrics, the combination of a fixed breastplate having its rear extremity located substantially at the fell of the fabric, and having a fabric supporting surface, an auxiliary breastplate below the supporting surface of the fixed breastplate, means for imparting upwardly and downwardly inclined movements to the auxiliary breastplate for,;fir\t, projecting the rear edge portion of the auxiliaz t breastplate into substantially the plane of the fabric supporting surface of the fixed breastplate to support the loop of the pile forming tuft below and about the back holding weft shot, and second, withdrawing the auxiliary breastplate in a downwardly inclined direction out of engagement with the fabric being woven on the beat up of the binding weft shot to permit the loop of the pile forming tuft to be tightened about the back holding weft shot and produce a well defined pattern on the back of the woven fabric.

13. In a loom for weaving tuft pile fabrics, the combination of a fixed breastplate for supporting the fabric as it is woven, said breastplate having its rear extremity located substantially at the fell of the fabric, an auxiliary breastplate mounted below the fixed breastplate, means for moving the auxiliary breastplate in an upwardly inclined direction towards the rear of the loom to place the rear edge portion of the auxiliary breastplate in the plane of the fabric supporting surface of the fixed breastplate to support the tuft yarn loopsin that plane and then withdraw the auxiliary breastplate in a downwardly inclined, direction towards the front of the loom to carry the rear edge of the auxiliary breastplate below the fixed breastplate.

WILLIAM D. KELLOGG. 

